Tuesday, October 7, 2014

NOT your mother's stretchy pants



My days are relatively routine these days - Barry and I walk for an hour, usually setting off sometime before 8 am and then I return to shower and begin writing and other tasks for the day.

What I have discovered is that jeans are simply not comfortable for sitting at a desk for long stretches of the day.

Sweat pants felt like I was giving up.

But thanks to the fashion gods, dressy slouchy pants are in this fall and I have bought some and I am GLAD.

These, or leggings under a tunic, are now the order of the day.

But they have to be pretty.

I recall with some trepidation pants of a similar ilk of my mother's (and some from this) generation:

Tradition /MD Pull-On Pant


I shudder at the mere glimpse of them and have made my daughter promise, that should I lose my mind due to some horrible ailment or because George Clooney shows up at my door when I am out getting groceries, that she will NEVER EVER allow them put me in such pants.

But they are comfortable (minus the scratchiness of the cheap poly I guess).

But I have found my own versions and they are swell.  So swell that not only do I answer the door to UPS man, but I sally forth into the great wide world, as comfy as comfy can be.

It started with the Citizens of Humanity waxed jeans.



Then I picked up the drapey wool sweat pants on sale from J Crew, which I love!


Yes ABC, I am SOOOO copying you!


I love the colour combos here...


And then Banana Republic had one of their hourly 40% off sales, where I snapped up the shine drapey pant:

Shine Drapey Pant
By the way, I am loving the BR this fall...

I gotta say - these are divine.  the fabric is fluid and the pants can be worn dressed up or down.  I can definitely see these as holiday pants, with the right shoe!

What I wore them with today - sorry for the blur!


I like how they break at the ankle.

And a closeup of the fabric...



Have I given up?  Perhaps.  But the comfort factor is just exactly meeting my needs these days and makes the other trousers and jeans I have seem more apropos of events of shorter duration.

This fashion time will pass and thank god for leggings I say!

leggings and boots and roots jacket

Oh and one other thing - these pants make me appear to have a bottom.  It is a shocker, even to me, I can tell you!

Any one else on the comfort band wagon with me, or am I letting it all hang out, sans spanx, alone?  

Have a fabulous day and stay safe out there!

xoxo wendy



34 comments:

  1. hahahaha! for a minute I thought the pants in the first pic were the ones you were loving!!! That's what comes of looking at a preview pic and scanning!

    I love your comfy pants - they look very cool and not at all as if you've given up. Jeans aren't very good for sitting in all day unless they're those super stretchy jeggings type.
    Hurrah for elegant slouch pants, and hurrah that you've got a bum!!

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  2. I bought some fake jean legging things at Costco for $13 and I cannot get enough of them! I'm all about comfort when I write. You've found some excellent comfy solutions. Love them!

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    1. Will have to pop into Costco and see if we have them,too!

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  3. The sweat pants come on when I get home from work --- but there's no one else in sight. I would never wear them in public! But I do have some leggings and some soft knit skinny leg jeans that feel good.

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    1. I have decided to never be uncomfortable again! It seems positively revolutionary!

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  4. At one time I dressed up always but those days are over. I've been wearing the JCrew pixie pants which are glorified leggings. Also those cargo pants which are oddly comfortable?
    This isn't giving up you look cool. Giving up, pfft you're just getting started, you've got a bum!

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    1. I find the cargos comfy for running errands but not for sitting at a desk for long periods of time. I think the pixies zip? I wanted no zippers or buttons!

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  6. I'm on the comfort wagon with you!! It's not giving up it's getting appropriate for our lifestyles. I've found some faux suede leggings that will be my winter uniform with boots and a slouchy sweater.
    xoJennifer
    Www.awellstyledlife.com
    My blog go hacked so I've moved :)

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    1. Faux suede leggings sound divine! I will keep an eye out for those....

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  7. All aboard the comfort band wagon! I'm right there with you these days too, although I do tend to wear a lot of blue jeans, and actually do find them to be quite comfortable. I am contemplating a pair of minnie pants to wear under tunics this year though, and I really want a pair of waxed jeans like your COH ones, too. I love all your 'stretchy pant' purchases, and think you look adorable in all of your outfits with them.

    Like Dani, I used to dress up pretty much every day, but now my lifestyle is much more casual, so the way I dress is, too. I did still wear a lot of maxi dresses this past summer, as I find them to be incredibly comfy, but so far this fall I have mainly been in denim or my cabela's camo pants.

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    1. I tend to wear my jeans out or when I am cleaning. I see BR has waxed pants, but I am doubtful they are as nice as my citizen ones. I love maxi dresses and that's what I lived in this past summer as well
      L

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  8. I'm totally with you on this trend. Finally one that is comfortable!!! I have a few of these pants (above) as well as about a dozen pair from Eileen Fisher and Lafayette148. Love them. PS What is that gorgeous print top you are wearing??? The one with the "ABC I am so copying you" caption?? Thanks!!
    BTW did I tell you we stayed at that hotel in Paris?? Hotel Residence HENry IV?? We loved it. We didn't expect to return to Paris so soon, but our daughter was there again for the summer (with her bf and his family) and they wanted to meet us. How could we say no?? :D

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    1. I have my wide legged jersey crepe trousers from EF that I adore. I would love to find a cheap source of Lafayette - the store here charges prohibitive prices for them!

      Oh my god, we were just talking about "our hotel" and how we want to go back. I found it the perfect location and so reasonably priced. I wish I could have snuck into your suitcase!

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    2. Oh and ps - the top was a vero mood from last year. I love it. I actually have a lot of vero moda in my closet these days - inexpensive, but my style completely!

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  9. Leggings and "comfy/stretchy" pants are what I live in mostly - and sometimes I feel I'm not looking smart enough! But I love everything in these pictures, each one is my kind of garment.

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  10. I'm in awe at all of the beautiful flats above.
    I can't wear any sort of baggy trouser, they make me feel like a fat slob so it's leggings and a long t shirt or sweatshirt for me at home with socks, we never wear shoes indoors.

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    1. H but nary a stiletto in sight! I love the slouchiness of these and feel I can get away with it due to my skinny legs! As for shoes - we take em off at door but I do not worry about that stuff at all, except for winter if muddy boots. Our floors are very lived in and I kind of love that!

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  11. You know that i am terribly guilty of wearing lulu lemon yoga pants. and i haven't done yoga in years. they are like roomy spanx and lift the butt. but it also allows me to keep eating because they stretch which is ironic bc they are exercise pants and so it makes me gain weight. I now try to wear jeans just so that my brain knows i am full at the waist. but i like those baggy trousers with the ankle thingy. you look quite boho Wendy!

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    1. You know I've never tried on lulu lemon sweats, though my good pal Elaine swears by them. As for weight - have already gained it and now working back and the stretch will keep em fitting!

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  12. I have not jumped on this trend yet. Still prefer yoga pants to lounge about the house. Still looking for the stunning housecoat that exists somewhere out there. You would look marvelous in a Snuggy. No giving up or giving in...doing what is kinder and gentler yet still fashionable.

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    1. I am looking for a new housecoat, too. Nothing inspiring, so hope the Christmas offerings are good!

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  13. LOVE those wool pants too! I love wool pants for my walks with the pooch in the winter, but sitting at a desk all day the wya I do, I prefer skirts. They are much more comfortable for me.

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    1. Rose, funny, I prefer dresses to skirts comfort-wise. I went through a crazy jcrew skirt phase when I was working and I think they are almost all gone now!

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  14. The leggings, boots, and roots is a great outfit.

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  15. This is super helpful! I think I may look into some like these a few sizes up for post-partum next month. I fear it is going to be awhile before I get back in my regular jeans and I would like some normal nice-looking pants to wear that won't also be super-uncomfortable/guilt-inducing.

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  16. I used to work with a very slender older women who told me that she noticed that all of her heavier friends all started to put on weight the minute they stopped wearing clothing with waistbands.(Hello Chicos) Of course this was pre- spandex in denim time. I work at home in comfier clothes,, but still cling too the regular pants when I leave the house. I am afraid I would find it far too easy too slide down that slope. Also, can I mention that I would wear leggings all the time if I had your tiny legs!
    BTW- LOVE the chairs. What a wonderful use of fabric, and the combo is both traditional and au courant at the same time.

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  17. Always reading along even if I don't find the time to comment. Totally in love with the dining room chairs. Crazy about your cute outfits & these comfy pants with the exception of the mom version at the top that burned my retinas. I wore my JC toile sweatpants recently & love them. They stretched out a bunch & I might should have sized down. Hopefully the dryer will fix them!

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